Are There Too Many Distractions?
With national real estate markets becoming more competitive for buyers and sellers, many real estate agents are beginning to think about expanding the services they offer and diversifying their areas of expertise. Is this a good or bad decision?
Based on personal experience I can answer this question without doubt. Diversification is not the answer for real estate practitioners in any market, especially not a slow or declining one. Unfortunately the opportunities to branch out of our area of expertise only seem to be expanding.
Today I can choose to be a home stager, retailer of electricity service providers, limited service brokerage, home inspector, appraiser, Web page developer, or, heaven forbid, combine real estate with mortgage services. (YES, in some states this is actually legal!)
What happens in any of these equations is that you become distracted with your primary purpose of selling real estate. Having a home staging designation is terrific but it doesn’t mean you get out there and start staging homes that are not your listings.
Selling secondary or complementary real estate goods will never help you hit the closed transaction numbers you are seeking.
So what is the answer to hitting your numbers, delivering unparallel customer satisfaction, and
getting clients the services they need? Be a master of your craft and refer secondary services to those that are a master of theirs. Create referral directories within your communities for services related to your business. Need a mortgage? Call a loan officer. Need a home staged? Call an accredited staging professional.
If practitioners will focus on one task (lead generation) they will see an endless supply of business. Author Gary Keller calls this the “power of one.” There are reasons bowling pins are not set up side by side. Instead, they are set up so if you focus on the head pin, you can hit a strike. That’s focusing on the power of one and using your skills where they are needed.
Whatever career path and journey you decide to take for your life, do so with conviction, passion, and do not let distractions take you off the path for success!
Dru Lee, ABR®, GRI, transferred with the U.S. Navy to Corpus Christi, Texas, nearly seven years ago, and later went on to receive his real estate license in 2004. In November 2006, Lee assisted with the launch of Keller Williams Realty in the Corpus Christi area.
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Comments
I never recommend real estate agents doing their own stagings. In staging, it takes a lot of tact to deal with telling someone what to change in their homes. It can hurt the relationship between the homeowner and the agent. That is why it is best to hire a stager to be the bad guy.
Posted by: Rachel - www.stagedmakeovers.com | March 3, 2008 03:36 PM